Well duh?
They probably are having trouble affording housing, food and basic necessities of life.
So why is this the headline?
In addition, 19 million Americans who tried to buy a health plan in the individual insurance market between 2007 and 2010 were either rejected due to a prior health condition or unable to find affordable coverage that fit their needs,
This is so vague as to be meaningless. Why not break it out and tell us how many were rejected for insurance vs. lumping them in with those that could not find a plan they like or could afford?
Of course they neglect to say that those losing jobs will normally have access to COBRA and after that expires, a HIPAA conversion plan. So even if they are denied coverage on a medically underwritten basis it isn't like they are totally shut out of the market.
Somehow this bit of information never makes it into the piece.
The government allows laid-off workers to remain on their former employers' health insurance via the COBRA program, but workers must pay the full cost of the insurance -- their share plus their former employer's share -- which is often unaffordable. The stimulus bill of 2009 provided a 65 percent subsidy for COBRA plans, but Congress dropped the subsidy last May due to deficit concerns.
Flash: The government doesn't have any money. They are tapped out and the Chinese aren't willing to spot us more cash until we show some fiscal responsibility.
The problem isn't health insurance so much as it is the economy. When people have jobs and steady income everything else pretty much evens out.
But I suppose it was a slow news day at HuffPo.
I mean it's not like there is anything going on in Japan or Libya . . .
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